She escaped during the Vietnam war and came to the U.S. with her brothers and sisters. She had to leave her parents behind and all her belongings except for a small suitcase. She met my father here and they married and later had my sister and I. My father has been an alcoholic for the past 35 years, since he was about 18 and my sister has had a learning disability throughout her whole life. My mother has always kept a smile in her heart and happiness on her face. She is 57 years old and looks about 35. She is the epitome of all goodness and love. She has opened her doors to homeless individuals and everyone's problems, just to help and listen and make everyone feel better. I nominate her as the bravest mom, because although she has been through soo much violence and hurt throughout her life, she still laughs so hard at the little things that it just makes you want to cry.
Belle, 18, California
When I was six years old, my mom, me and my three other siblings were homeless for six months. We went through the shelter system here in NYC for six months. Even though my mom could have left us or just not cared for us during those hard times, she didn't abandon us, and she did all she could so us kids would live well. We lived in shelters for 6 to 8 months, and during that time, mom went to school, to get her education so she could help us. She did all she could to help us live a happy life. Now I'm 15 and mom and I live in our nice apartment, and she's a school teahcer. My other three siblings are doing well. Two are in college, and the other is getting married soon. My mom is so brave and loving in being able to work every day for us kids. In being able to go to school for us kids. Everything she did was to benefit us. And I want to thank her for that!
Karmelie, 15, New York
My mom is the bravest in the world, for me, because when I was a baby my father put my mother into drugs... we passed the worst problems someone could ever have... like cops following us (because of my "father"), drugged people at our house, I was always sick (because of asthma)... etc, When my mom left my father, she was threatened (thugs said that they were going to kidnap me). They followed us but she bravely passed through this part of our life, she went to a hospital... but nobody wanted to treat her... even the doctors didn't believe that she was what she said she was but she insisted and they treated her. And now she works, she is here with me. I haven't seen my father for 6 months. Tell me... Isn't she the bravest mother in the world?
Alexandra, 12, Portugal
One day we were alone in the bushy meadows in Trinidad. My mom told me to watch out for snakes because there ought to be a lot around. So we were walking when I heard a rattling sound. I started becoming frighted. I knew that there was a snake somewhere around. I kept telling myself that it probably wasnt even a snake, but inside there still stood that fear of a poisonous rattle snake! While I heard the sound closer and closer I started getting more frightened. I got so scared that I blurted out "Mom I think there is a snake somewhere around!" Then she said "Please dont be afraid, I wouldn't let anything happen to you!" Then finally our meeting with the snake came!!! My mom took the hoe, picked up the snake and carried it way down to the side of the bushes! When she came back I asked her if anything happened to her and she said no! Then I asked her if she was frightened and she said of couse she was !!! I really love my mom for saving me! I think she is the bravest mom in the world!
Marisa, 10, New York
My mum is brave because when we went to England for a working holiday my mum got a job working as a teacher for disabled kids. That is my mum's usual job so that would mean nothing except that when she was there all the kids were so bad they would kick her or play horrible tricks on her so she came home crying all the time. Some of those kids had been in trouble with the law a lot too but no matter what they did, my mum could not really punish them because this was a different sort of school. My mum got sacked though just because she didn't agree with their way of teaching. She took us to London after that where she got another job with disabled kids even after all that happened to her. I think my mum is brave because of that and I'm really proud of her.
Indy, 12, Australia
When I was about 3 and my brother 2, my mother got arrested by the communist government in Cuba ( where we are originally from) accused of being anti-communist. She was in jail for 8 years and still managed to support us by sending us the very little bit of money that they made in prison. When she finally got out, we got Visas because the govt. (Fidel Castro) was giving Visas away to Cuba's political prisoners. We got to this country not knowing any English, no place to stay, no money or food and she still managed to get 4 jobs to support me and my brother! Not to mention the fact that she has been mother and father to us, because when she went to jail my so-called father abandoned me and my brother, and left her for another woman! She is the best mother and grandmother in the whole world, I don't care what part of the world we are talking about. God made my mother in his loving and caring image.
From an AGW "Big Sister"
Martha, 29, USA
